– PROJECT –

– Mataso Weavers / APT / Newell Harry –

By Summer 2009

Exploring the themes of the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT6) at the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, ARTAND Australia commissioned ni-Vanuatu weavers from Mataso Island (Shepherd Islands), Mataso-Ohlen (Port Vila) and Unakapu Village (Nguna Island off Efate’s north coast) to create an Artist Edition. The ni-Vanuatu weavers based their design on a traditional ‘bible bag’, hand-weaving the bags with local colours and a humorous mix of Bislama texts; these designs developed from a workshop in 2004 with artist Newell Harry. The limited-edition commemorative basket was offered for sale with Issue 47.2, Summer 2009, with profits returned to the community.